Leap Before You Look
by BlackWindHowls
Summary: A collection of one chapter stories of Sam leaping and changing a person's life for the better. Sam learns that not every leap must be problematic or complex.
1. April 11th, 1988

Sam looked at his surroundings as the disorientation from leaping passed. There were quite a bit of cars parked and a somewhat large building across the street. Around the side of the buildings, small groups of teenagers huddled together talking and laughing.

That's when Sam decided to look in the mirror on the side of the car he stood next to. His reflection revealed a teenage boy's face. The kid looked pretty average among what people might consider so. Black hair, short sideburns, tan enough, the like.

He was in high school.

"Oh boy," Sam muttered as Al stepped into the Imaging Chamber.

"Hey Sam," Al said. "Nice sideburns you got there."

"Thanks," Sam said. "Facial hair discussions aside though, got anything on this leap?"

Al nodded and looked to the handheld link.

"Your name is Brian Davidson," Al replied. "You're in Yazoo, Mississippi and it's April 11, 1988. This is your high school here."

"Does Ziggy know why I'm here?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," Al said. He pressed another button on the link. "Brian here was planning on asking out a girl he's really liked since junior high before heading home. Unfortunately, in the original history, he lost his nerve and never did. Ziggy says there's a 97 chance that you're here to change that."

"Great," Sam said. "Who is she?"

Al scanned the area with all the students congregating. Finally, he stopped and pointed.

"See that girl in the slightly torn blue jeans at the knees?" Al asked and pointed. "That's the girl, Anna."

"And all I'm here to do is ask her out?" Sam asked.

"If Ziggy is right," Al said, "that's it."

"I don't have to win her over from an abusive boyfriend?" Sam asked.

"Nope," Al replied. "Just ask her out."

"Okay," Sam said. "Here I go."

Al watched as Sam walked across the street to the girl he pointed out. Sam slowly approached the girl from behind and tapped her on her shoulder. The girl turned around.

"Anna?" Sam asked.

"Hey Brian," Anna said.

"Can I talk to you for minute?" Sam said. "Over here?"

"Sure," Anna replied and followed Sam to a bit more private area. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Sam said. "I just wanted to ask you something." Sam paused for a moment. "Do you want to go out Friday night?"

Anna smiled. "You mean like on a date?"

"Yeah."

"Brian, I'd love to!" Anna replied. "I've been wanting you to ask me out for so long. I was beginning to think you weren't ever going to!"

"I couldn't have that, now could I?" Sam asked smiling.

"So pick me up around seven?" Anna asked.

"Will do," Sam replied.

From across the street, Al watched as Sam accomplished his mission. From the looks of things, asking her out was going well. To be sure, Al decided to see if history had changed any and brought it up on the handheld link.

He smiled. Apparently the date went well. In 1994, the two married and today have three kids.

"Good work Sam," Al said. "Yet again."

With that in mind, Al returned to the waiting area for Sam's next leap.


	2. October 9th, 1979

Sam felt himself lean against what felt like a tree just as he felt the familiar disorientation come over him and pass seconds later. He blinked several times to make sure he back to normal and sure enough, he was. Sam glanced at his current surroundings. Sure enough, there was the tree next to him.

Sam began walking as he continued looking around to figure out where he was. One thing was for sure. Where ever he was, he didn't have to worry about running short of trees or bushes, both of which were scattered around at various points in the area. Apparently it was a park of some sort.

Whatever the place was, Al wasn't here yet. Figuring he would arrive when he had enough information to give, Sam decided to continue walking. Why whoever he had leapt into was walking through the park at such an apparent late hour, he wasn't sure. But whatever the reason, he wasn't going to complain about being in a nice place like this.

Sam began walking. Just as he took his first step, the Imaging Chamber door opened and Al stepped through.

"Hey Al," Sam said as Al stepped through the chamber's door while not feeling at all surprised..

"There's no time for pleasantries!" Al yelled. "Follow me! Whatever you do, hurry up and follow me!"

"But…"

"Run!" Al yelled again, only louder. Al began running the opposite direction from Sam.

Sam looked at Al in bewilderment and wondered what in the world was going on. Where ever they were going, Al was in a hurry. Five minutes later, Sam was still chasing Al and was getting out of breath. He hoped they would get there, where ever 'there' was, soon. Sam didn't know how much longer he could running this fast.

Sam watched as Al glanced at his watch.

"We're running out of time!" Al called back to Sam. "Hurry!"

A few minutes later, Sam and Al approached a house.

"Sam," Al said, "pull out your gun and get inside that house right now!"

"It would be nice to know what is going on!"

"A woman is about to get raped!" Al shot back. "Get inside that house right now and stop it from happening!"

Sam looked shocked at the announcement. In fact, it was just now that he realized he did in fact have a gun at his side and not only that, he was wearing a light blue police uniform.

"Get in there Sam!" Al said, snapping Sam out his thought. "The back door should be broken into!"

Sam nodded and ran to the back of the house and saw Al was right--the door had obviously been forcibly opened. He ran inside the house when Al appeared nearby.

"They should be in the bedroom," Al said. "Hurry Sam! This way!" Al pointed down a hall. "It's at the end. Get the gun ready."

Sam bit his lip as he ran. As he neared the bedroom, he started hearing muffled sounds as if someone was trying to scream but couldn't.

"S…Stop!" Sam yelled as he ran into the bedroom while almost comically handling his gun. Al was right. A man was practically already on top of the woman on a bed. He also had something in her mouth to stop her from screaming for help.

The man jumped off the woman and away as Sam pointed the gun towards him. He looked around for a way to escape, but fortunately, there were none.

"That was close," Al said. "Now you're going to need to put him in handcuffs and read him his rights."

"But…"

"Don't worry," Al said, "I've got what to say right here." Al motioned to the link. "Now order him to the ground."

Sam nodded. "You better get down on your stomach," Sam said as forcibly as he could. The man, knowing he was defeated and had no option, did as he was told while the woman curled up on the bed crying. As Sam cuffed the man, Al read the Miranda rights and Sam repeated them.

When Sam finished reading the rapist his rights, the blue light enveloped Sam. Seconds later, Sam disappeared to his next leap.

Al sighed and smiled as he looked at the new history through the link. No longer were references in the town's newspapers to a serial rapist who ultimately raped six women--one of whom later committed suicide--and was never caught. Instead, now the man became an attempted rapist who would be spending some time in prison.

Al glanced back to the cop--the real one--who's memories were finishing filling in the holes as he called for reinforcements.

"Not a bad way to start off your career," Al said with a grin and took a puff of his newly lit cigar to the twenty-two year old cop who went on to become the town's police captain. Al stepped through the Chamber's door to find where Sam had gone to now.


	3. June 2nd, 1993

Sam blinked several times as the last of the disorientation passed. Glancing around, he saw himself surrounded by a lot of what appeared to be kids in their late teens or early twenties. Sam figured, chances are, that meant he was too. It also didn't take a genius to figure out that where ever he was, he was at a party of some sort.

"Hey John," a girl said walking up to Sam. Great, first few seconds here and he knew his name that fast. For the girl, whoever she was, she seemed pretty with her short black hair and light green eyes.

"Oh," Sam said somewhat startled from his thoughts, "hey."

"You enjoying the party?" the girl asked.

"I'm enjoying it," Sam replied. "What about you?"

"Yeah, it's great," the girl replied. "Although I'm starting to get kind of tired. I think I may be leaving soon."

"Oh," Sam replied. He thought about what to say next. "I'm sorry you're leaving so soon."

"Thanks," the girl replied. "But I got work in the morning anyway, so I think it would be best if I did leave soon and turn in early tonight."

Sam was about to say something when he saw Al step through the Imaging Chamber's door next to the girl. It didn't take long before Al turned his attention to her.

"Cute," Al said. "It's times like this I wish I wasn't a hologram here." He paused as he checked out the girl from head to toe while Sam gave him a look. "Although at the same time I can't complain."

"I'm going to go talk to Amy real quick before heading home, okay?" the girl asked. "I'll let you know before I leave. Hey Amy!"

She walked off waving down another girl. After watching her do so, Al motioned for Sam to follow him into an empty room. Sam followed. Even in the other room with the door closed, the blaring music in the living room was still very audible.

"So where am I now?" Sam asked.

"You're John Jackson," Al replied. "This is Wichita, Kansas and it's June 2, 1993. The girl you were just talking to is name Jennifer Gregory, a friend of yours since junior high school. You've just graduated from high school several days ago and this little party is in celebration."

Al pressed several buttons on the handheld link.

"As for why you're here," Al said, "all you have to do is just drive Jennifer to her house."

"Why not?" Sam asked.

"Ziggy says that in the original history," Al replied, "she drives home in a few minutes. Unfortunately, on the way she falls asleep at the wheel and crashes into a tree. She dies on impact."

"So that's what I'm here to stop?"

"Ziggy is sure that you are," Al replied. "All you need to do is just drive her home and make sure she gets home safely. Ziggy believes that's all that's required for you to leap this time."

"Okay," Sam said.

"John?" the girl asked as she walked into the room.

"I'm in here," Sam replied.

"Who are you talking to?" Jennifer asked looking around.

"Oh," Sam said, "um…just thinking out loud is all about something."

"Oh okay then," Jennifer replied. "If you say so. Anyway, I guess I'm about to head home." She offered a quick yawn.

"You know what?" Sam asked. "I'll drive you home."

"Thanks," Jennifer replied, "but you don't have to."

"No, it's okay," Sam replied. "I want too."

"Well, if you insist," Jennifer replied. "I'm kind of tired anyway. But only if you're sure you want to leave the party early."

"I don't mind," Sam replied. "I was about to head home anyway."

With a quick glance for help towards Al, Sam followed Jennifer to her car. With how small the slightly discolored car was, it was no wonder she was killed instantly when she collided with the tree. Just as the two got in the car, Al appeared behind them.

"Got the directions!" Al said.

Twenty minutes later, Sam pulled into Jennifer's driveway.

"Here we are," Sam said.

"Thanks for giving me a ride," Jennifer said with another yawn. "I didn't realize just how tired I am until just now. I'll probably pass out as soon as I hit the pillow."

"Sometimes it can sneak up on you like that without you even realizing it," Sam replied slightly glancing back to Al. "Just be sure to get enough sleep tonight."

"Oh I will," Jennifer replied laughing. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow afternoon. I need to turn in for the night."

Meanwhile, Al checked out the new history as he "sat" in the backseat. In the new history, Jennifer started college in a few weeks and eventually became a nurse working in her hometown.

She kissed Sam on the cheek. As soon as her lips made contact, the familiar blue light engulfed Sam as he disappeared in the blue haze once again.


	4. November 6th, 1964

_A/N: Remember I did say that Sam learns that not all leaps have to be complex or problematic lol. Also, when the elections for this sort of thing are held kind of slipped my mind. So if the date is wrong, I apologize._

* * *

Sam blinked and looked around. Where ever he was, he was in a small booth-like box with a curtain pulled behind him. In front of him a ballot box sat on a table. 

"Oh boy," Sam muttered as Al stepped in the Imaging Chamber.

"Sam," Al said. "You've got a very easy leap on your hand this time. It's November 6, 1964. Your in a small town in Nebraska called Wolf's Burg and it's election time. For mayor to be more exact."

Al waited for Ziggy to bring up more information as Sam waited.

"Apparently," Al said, "the mayor that gets elected in the original history, Alfred Jones, turns out to be really corrupt and ends up stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the town over the next few years. By the time it's discovered, the mayor had already hidden the money but never told anyone where it was. It actually ends up bankrupting the town."

Al waited for more information.

"And he won by one vote," Al continued. "Ziggy says the man you were about to leap into voted for Jones, so you just need to vote for the other guy running, Alex Smith."

"Really?" Sam asked.

"Ziggy says it's a ninety-nine percent chance."

"Oh. Well, I guess I'll get to it." Sam replied. Sam picked up a ballot and filled out the ballot with the required items.

Once finished, Sam slipped the ballot into the ballot box and the blue haze surrounded him as he disappeared to another time and place.

Al checked out the updated history. Indeed, Alex Jones, a desegregation supporter, won the mayoral election by one vote. Over the next few years of his candidacy, he did what he could to help the town improve and helped promote racial equality among the citizens of the town.

Al smiled as he stepped out of the Imaging Chamber. Too bad all the leaps couldn't be this easy for Sam.


	5. July 17th, 1986

-1The all-to-familiar disorientation hit Sam like a sack of potatoes. As Sam rubbed the side of his head, he remembered why the disorientation was the one part of leaping he wished was not a part of it and that he could completely wipe out from it. Either way, fortunately it never lasted very long.

As the disorientation passed, Sam looked around at his new surroundings. He was inside a relatively small restaurant. Well, maybe 'restaurant' was not the most appropriate word. More like a big diner. There were two people sitting on the little round seats at the bar as most everyone else sat in booths scattered across the eating area.

Sam rubbed his hands together. He didn't know who he had leapt into, but it was a safe bet the person was about to sit down and order something to eat. That being the case, Sam didn't think it would be right to deny that desire.

Sitting down at the bar, Sam glanced around him. One of the men sitting down the bar from him was eating waffles and bacon, the family of four sitting in one of the booths ate everything from eggs to toast and chocolate milk.

Quaint.

It did make Sam wonder why he was here, however. Was the diner about to be robbed and he was there to stop it from happening? Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how one wanted to see it, the answer was given.

"Help!" someone suddenly screamed out on the other side of the diner. "Somebody help!"

The woman screaming was obviously panicked and scared. Sam looked around to find where the source of the voice was coming from. Sure enough, the person screaming was the mother in the family that was sitting in one of the corner booths.

Then Sam saw the reason for her panicking state of mind. One of the children, the boy, was on the ground unconscious and not breathing. Everyone else in the diner reacted accordingly and ran over.

"Call an ambulance!" the father demanded. "He's not breathing!"

"What happened to him?" one of the waitresses asked as another went to the phone. 

"I don't know!" the father replied. "He just passed out and stopped breathing."

However, Sam knew exactly what he had to do. If the boy really wasn't breathing, there would be a good chance the ambulance wouldn't arrive in time to save him. Even if they did arrive soon enough to actually save his life, the damage done by the lack of oxygen to the brain would still have a chance of happening.

Fortunately, through his ever slight Swiss Cheesed memory, Sam still retained enough important details.

"Everyone back away!" Sam said as he approached the boy. "Give us some air!"

"What are you doing?" the mother asked through her frightened tears.

"Don't worry," Sam said, "I can help your son long enough for the paramedics to arrive. Just give me room!"

Sam felt the boy's pulse. It was very weak telling him his theory was right. If he didn't do something now, the paramedics wouldn't arrive in time.

As everyone watched on with tension, Sam began performing CPR on the boy. Would he survive? He had to, Sam hoped. There had to be no other reason he had come to this diner, at this moment.

As the boy's mother wept on her husband's shoulder, everyone could feel her, the father, and daughter's fear. They all felt for them as they watched Sam try helping the boy, but they all secretly felt the same; that they were happy it was not their child on the verge of death.

Moments that seemed like an eternity went by while Sam performed CPR. Fortunately, as the sounds of sirens rapidly approached the diner, the boy suddenly started breathing to everyone's delight.

"You did a good thing there, Sam," Al's familiar voice said. Sam looked at him. Through the craze, he hadn't even heard Al arrive.

Al pressed a button on the handlink.

"Oh, don't worry. The kid survived. However, he wouldn't have been if you hadn't been here to do the whole CPR job. He's rushed off to the nearest hospital where the doctors treat him and he eventually recovers. What's more, his parents get inspired to learn CPR themselves and actually end up saving someone else a few years down the road."

Sam opened his mouth to speak when he disappeared in a blinding blue flash.


	6. May 2nd, 1990

_A/N: By the way, I haven't mentioned this yet, but I actually have a heft goal for "Leap Before You Look"--100 chapters! So I hope to see more encouragement coming from you all!

* * *

_

Sam glanced at around. He was in a long hallway that was covered in lockers all the way up and down both sides. Nearby were stairs to the second floor. The floor looked almost like a checkerboard, except it was black and white squares instead of black and red. 

Sam looked down. He wore blue jeans and a football jersey. Not one of those t-shirts that are made to look like football jerseys, but a honest-to-goodness serious high school football jersey. He remembered this from his own high school days. On the day of the games, the football players would wear their jerseys to school.

"Loser," one of the boys said. "No one likes you!"

Sam broke from his wandering thoughts and looked around to find where the insults were coming from. As it turned out, it wasn't directed towards him.

Perhaps almost expectedly, three guys were ganging up on an obviously more weaker member of the species, so to speak. The boy being bullied was much shorter than the three guys and held several textbooks in his hands.

That was when another of the three boys knocked the books out of his hands and scattered them. The remaining one grabbed the boy by his shirt's collar and was about to punch him when Sam intervened.

"Hey, leave him alone," Sam ordered the three boys.

"What's it to you?" one of the three bullies asked.

"Everything," Sam responded, trying his best to sound tough. "You better leave him alone if you know what's good for you."

They obviously looked angry. Most likely over the fact someone didn't want them to carry out there more basic instincts. However, the bully grasping the boy's collar let go as a man approached as well as Al stepped through the Chamber's door, almost appearing like he was walking through the lockers.

"Excuse me," a man wearing a light brown suit said. "Is there a problem here?"

"No sir," the three bullies replied.

"Actually, it seemed that way to me," the man replied in an unforgiving tone. "Why don't you three come down to my office and have a little chat with me?"

"So, what am I here for?" Sam asked Al as the principal escorted the three boys off.

"Actually, that was what you were here for," Al replied.

Sam looked puzzled. "What was?"

Al pointed towards the boy Sam had just defended as he ran off.

"He was," Al repeated. "Ziggy said that in the original history, that kid was bullied endlessly by others. He was the typical "loser" labeled kid and didn't really have any friends."

Al pressed another button on the link.

"So what was the point of stopping one single bullying event?" Sam asked. "From the sound of it, it'll just happen again."

"Actually, tonight he was going to kill himself."

"What?" Sam asked almost as if he hadn't heard right.

"That's right," Al said. "Originally, today was the straw that broke the camel's back and the kid apparently couldn't handle it anymore. So tonight he was going to kill himself. But since you defended him, that never happens. In fact, feeling so good about what happened, he and the guy you leaped into eventually become close friends."

Without warning, Sam leaped.


	7. July 15th, 1995

Looking around as the disorientation passed, Sam found himself sitting in the driver's seat of a car along with three other teenaged girls in the car.

"...and he then had the nerve to ask her out," one of the two girls in the backseat said. "Think, after he cheated on her own sister, he actually thought she would say yes?"

"Some people," the girl in the passenger seat in the front agreed. "I bet it was funny to see her slap him though!"

"Oh it was," the original girl answered, "it was. Anyway, has Steven asked you out yet, Chelsea?"

Sam realized by everyone's staring she meant him. Or her. Whichever.

"Oh," Sam said, "not yet. I'm still waiting."

"That's weird," the second girl in the backseat said. "He said he was planning to yesterday."

"Maybe he will later then," Sam answered. He had no idea who Steven was, or if he had even asked the girl he had leapt into out yet. For all he knew, he had and the girl had said yes. But either way, it wasn't the issue at hand as Al appeared in the middle of the windshield.

"Sam," Al said, "Ziggy says she finally found out why you're here. According to the town's newspaper dated a few days after your present, the girl you've leapt into and her friends are killed in a car wreck that happens in a few minutes."

The handlink bleeped a few times as Al continued reading.

"Apparently the left front tire is going to blow out in about twenty minutes if you keep driving," Al continued. "But Ziggy says that there's an auto repair place just down the street. The girls passed by it in the original timeline but never stopped and Ziggy says that if they had, the problem would have been caught and easily corrected. So all you need to do is pull in there and let a mechanic check the tire."

As the other three girls talked and giggled over various boys, Sam watched out for the reapir shop Al mentioned. Sure enough, in the distance, a relatively nice looking repair shop was located on the side of the road.

"Hey," Sam said, "I think something's wrong with the car. I'm going to have to pull into that repair place up ahead."

"Chelsea, this is no time to flirt with a hot looking mechanic!" one of the girls called out as the other two laughed.

"Oh well," Sam stated trying to sound natural, "you know how it goes. That'll be an added bonus. But I really do think something is wrong."

A few minutes later, Sam pulled into the parking lot of the repair shop.

"I'll be right back," Sam said and walked into the front.

The clerk looked up at the sound of the ringing bell above the entrance.

"Hi there," she said, "how may I help you?"

"I think there's something wrong with the left front tire of my car and I was wondering if I could get it looked at."

"Sure," the clerk said. "Hey Davey, the girl here needs you to go check her front tire."

"Okay," a young man said from nearby. He wiped his hands on the somewhat dirty hand towel and followed Sam outside.

"You'll have to drive it inside the garage over there so we'll be able to check it out, okay?"

"Okay," Sam replied. He got back in the car as the mechanic walked to the side with the garage. Driving in, Sam slowed down and stopped in the middle where Davey motioned her to.

"Now I'll need you all to get out and wait inside so we can check the tire," Davey said.

The girls grabbed their purses and went in as directed to sit down. As they sat down, Sam glanced to Al.

"The good news is that in just a few minutes, they find the problem," Al said. "The tire gets repaired and the girls make it home safely and very much alive. Another job finished, Sam."

Sam smiled and, on schedule, disappeared in a neon blue light.


	8. May 30th, 1991

__

A/N: Very short chapter time!

* * *

Sam blinked a few times. The disorientation finally passed and he looked around.

A few things were imediately apparent. He was sitting behind the wheel of a car, a middle-aged woman was sitting next to him reading a magazine, and there were three kids sitting in the backseat playing. The car was also padded down with a lot of clothes, toys, and various other objects.

"Honey?" the woman asked.

"Yeah?" Sam said.

"Is something wrong?"

"Um," he said shrugging, "no. Why?"

"I don't know," the woman answered. "I thought you might be lost or something. We've been sitting at this stop sign for a while."

Sam looked out the window. Indeed, a stop sign was present.

"Oh," Sam said. "I was just trying to remember which way to go is all."

"Which way to go? Honey, we've been this way on vacation a hundred times," the woman said. "Don't you know it by now?"

"Yeah, sorry," was all he could say. Sam started pressing his foot against the pedal. The car began moving.

"Sam stop!" Al's familiar voice suddenly shouted from behind as the Imaging Chamber door opened and closed. Sam nearly jumped out of his seat as he hit the brakes.

Literally seconds later, a car from the right, swerving all over the road, ran through the stop sign at nearly 100 mph. The drunk driver never slowed down until the driver lost control a bit up the road and ran into a ditch.

"That car would have slammed right into us!" the woman cried. "We would have been killed!"

Sam disappeared to another time.


	9. May 30th, 1980

As the disorientation began passing, Sam realized the loud noises were actually people yelling. Not only were there scattered groups of people yelling, it seemed that they were all roaming around a forest.

Sam further realized they were calling a girl's name.

"It doesn't look too good, does it?" a young girl, possibly in her early twenties, asked Sam as she approached from the side.

"Uh…" he said. "I wouldn't say that."

The identity-less woman sighed.

"I hope you're right," she said. "I'd hate for what I'm afraid of to happen. We do need to keep positive."

"Me too," Sam agreed. He hoped he was wrong, but he figured he didn't need Al to tell him exactly what the situation was. It was fairly obvious even without the aid of knowing the future that someone was missing.

The woman walked off and started yelling again. Sam looked around. Where ever this was, the forest was pretty dense. Sunlight barely made it through the top.

"Hey Sam," Al said from a nearby tree. "Over here." He motioned Sam to come over. Sam obeyed.

"Hey Al," Sam said. "What do you have for me?"

"Enough," Al said. "It's May 30th, 1980. As you can see, you're a volunteer with the rest of this search team."

"Who are we looking for?" Sam asked.

"Well, late last night before when you are," Al explained, "a young girl named Jenny Gates went missing in this forest while playing. The town and local police organized this search party to find her. Came together pretty quickly."

Sam sighed.

"But nothing good came of it, did it?" he asked. "Or I wouldn't be here."

"Unfortunately," Al said, "you're right. I remember hearing about this on the news back when this happened. The search party wasn't able to find her. Which was sad because she wasn't far away from where you are now."

Al paused for a moment to take a puff of his cigar.

"So I think it's fairly obvious why you're here," Al continued. "You have to make sure the rescue party finds her."

"How am I supposed to find her?" Sam asked.

"Easy," Al said. "Ziggy has the little girl's position pinpointed. All you have to do is follow me. Let's go."

Al turned and walked through a tree.

"Wait up," Sam said low enough for none of the other searchers to hear.

Sam jogged following Al jumping over a few fallen trees and limbs in the process.

"We're getting close," Al said.

As Sam followed, he began hearing quiet whimpering and crying. Seconds later, he spotted a small dirty figure sitting on a log.

"Jenny?" Sam asked. The little girl looked up and grinned happily through tears. She ran to Sam.

"That's her," Al said. "You better go tell the rest of the search party."

Sam took Jenny in his arms.

"Come on," he told her. "Let's get you back to your family."

Freezing and shaking, the little girl simply placed her head quietly on his shoulder.. It didn't take long for the trio to make it back to the rest of the search party.

"I found her!" Sam called out.

Everyone turned instantly and made their way to Sam and the girl.

"Way to go John," everyone congratulated.

"Lets get her out of here," one of the searchers said. Then he looked to the girl. "It's okay Jenny. You're safe and sound now."

Standing to the side, Al watched on as he smoked his cigar.

"Yes," he told Sam, "congratulations Sam. In the original timeline, that little girl died later on tonight. Her body was found a week later where you just found her."

Al smiled as the little girl was carried off to medical care and Sam disappeared in a blue aura.


	10. October 2nd, 1996

Al watched as his long time friend clean one of the many dirty tables. This time around Sam had 'become' a waiter in New Mexico.

"Hey Sam, over here," Al called out from his position next to the kitchen entrance. Sam looked up and saw Al. He walked over.

"Hey Al," he whispered. "Please tell me you have something for me."

"I do," Al replied. It's October 2, 1996 and you're name is David Smith, a nineteen year old recently hired waiter at a local fast food place. Probably just making minimum wage."

A blonde waitress, the only other person in the now closed restaurant, walked out of the kitchen and with a broom.

"Of course," Al said watching the woman as she walked along, "life is all about balance."

Sam pretended to clear his throat. The blonde waitress then turned to face Sam.

"Hey David," the waitress said, "while you're heading in there, can you grab the dust pan for me? I forgot it in the kitchen."

Sam nodded.

"Sure," he told her. The woman turned back to sweeping.

Sam and Al walked in the kitchen.

"So why am I here?" Sam asked.

"See that rag right there?" Al asked. He pointed to a rag in a very troubling position. "That's our problem. Hurry and get it out."

The rag was inside a frying pan which was still very hot from cooking hamburgers all day.

Sam couldn't believe his eyes. Why in the world is that there? Rushing over, Sam found a cooking utensil and pulled the hot rag out and into the sink.

"I'm glad we came in here," Sam said. "That could have ended very badly!"

"It did, actually."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

"Originally I mean," Al said. "That's what Ziggy says you were here for. In the original history, this place went completely up in smoke. The entire place burned down and was ruled an accident--caused by a misplaced rag."

"So the place didn't burn down?"

"Nope," Al replied. "And the waitress out there gets to keep her job to support her child."

A blue light engulfed Sam.


	11. May 3rd, 2003

_A/N: Sadly, obviously not counting the parts that make Quantum Leap the show that it is, this is based on a true story that happened outside a town about a thirty minute drive from where I live just a few years ago. They were just about home when the event in this story happened._

A blue light surrounded the passenger sitting in the front seat of a car. But neither of the other two passengers noticed Sam taking the place of their friend.

"I'm so glad we're almost home," the woman, who appeared to Sam to be in her early twenties, said. "I'm worn out."

"Me too," the driver said. "But I think we'll be home at least by midnight."

Sam simply sat there listening to the two people talk. Until Al arrived to shed light on the situation, he didn't want to do or say anything that would complicate matters.

Looking out his window, he looked at the dark night sky. It was complete darkness and not the moon or a single star could be seen.

It was then that Al arrived. When Al stepped through the Imaging Chamber's door, he stood behind Al.

"Hey Sam," Al said. "Listen up because this leap should be a cinch. It's May 3, 2003 and the people you're with are on their way home from a trip. Along the way, in about three minutes, they have to pass over railroad tracks. Unfortunately, when they do, due to how dark it is, they don't notice a train that is traveling along the track."

He paused for a moment as he pulled up the rest of the information.

"And I guess it goes without saying what happens after that," Al said. "But Ziggy says she's completely certain that's what you're here to change. Ziggy suggests you tell the driver to slow down to forty miles per hour and turn the headlights on bright."

Sam turned to the driver.

"Hey," Sam said, "how fast are we going?"

"Seventy."

"Can you slow down to forty and turn the headlights on bright?"

"Why?" the driver asked. "I'm ready to get home as soon as possible."

"I just have a feeling we need to," Sam said. "Just for at least the next five minutes. Please?"

"I think we're fine," the driver said.

"Please!" Sam yelled.

The driver sighed.

"Fine," he said. "I'll slow down. But just for the next few minutes."

Reading the updated history, Al looked up.

"They make it home safely Sam," Al said. "Thanks to the driver slowing down and their headlights being on bright, they notice the train moving just in time."

Moments later the car's passengers are rejoined by their real friend.


	12. June 1st, 1994

In the waning disorientation, Sam found himself sitting at a table in a fast food restaurant. Looking around, several people sat in booths around the place. Closer to home, Sam found himself sitting across from a black haired, green-eyed young man. The man took a big bite of his hamburger.

It was then Al walked through the women's bathroom door--literally.

"They don't make'em like they used to," Al stated as he approached Sam. "Unfortunately for me, this should be a relatively short and simple leap, Sam."

Sam picked up his drink and started sucking the Coke through the straw as he made eye contact with Al indicating to go on.

Al looked at the machine in his hand.

"It's June 1, 1994," Al continued, "and this is Milwaukee, Wisconsin. You're name is Brandon Jones and this is your best friend, Jerry Moore. The two of you have just graduated from college and are best friends."

Al paused for a moment as more information came up.

"Jerry here apparently has a huge thing for one of his former teachers and advisor named Amanda Greene who he has talked about to Brandon relentlessly," Al said. "She's only a very few years older than the two of you. He really wants to ask her out as he has since meeting her but never did due to their prior professional relationship. Unfortunately, Jerry never asks her out even after graduating and is really heartbroken for the rest of his life as he never really cared about anyone else like he did her."

Another quick pause.

"Ziggy says it's a ninety-six percent chance you're here to give him a little nudge and talk him into asking her out. So you better get to it before he spends the rest of his life sad and heartbroken."

Sam nodded. Putting the drink down, he looked to Jerry.

Not beating around the bush, Sam asked, "When are you going to ask her out?"

"I don't think I will," the other man said. "It'd be way too awkward."

"Why?" Sam asked.

"She was one of my professors and advisor for three years," he replied. "I just don't think I could ask her out. Even if I did, I'm sure she'd feel the same."

"Look at it this way," Sam suggest. "Let's say you do ask her out. What's really the worst that could happen? If she says yes, you get to do what you've wanted for several years."

"I know," Jerry replied. "But I'd just be wasting my time. I mean, she'd probably think it would be too awkward anyway."

"So she turns you down. If she does, you might never even see her again. And if you don't, you still might never even see her again and go on wondering what might have been."

The man sighed.

"You're not going to let this go, are you?"

"No."

"Fine," the man said and took another bite of his hamburger. "I'll try to work up my nerve and give it a shot. I'm going to hunt you down if I embarrass myself."

"The good news is that he does work up the nerve," Al said reading the information Ziggy brought up. "He goes to her office and asks her out in three days. You'll be glad to hear that she says yes. They start dating and even get married in a year." Al smirked. "Get this. Eleven months later, she gives birth to a daughter. They didn't waste time, did they?"

Neither did Sam. He disappeared in a blue light before he had a chance to respond.


	13. April 29th, 1977

Sam blankly stared at the man sitting on a stool opposite himself.

"What?" the man, who wore a red cap, checkered shirt, and blue jeans, asked. "Have something on my face?"

Sam jerked to attention as the disorientation passed. He felt the crackling fire between them without having to move.

"No," Sam replied. "I just got lost in thought and forgot what I was doing."

"Oh," the man said blowing smoke out of his mouth from the cigarette he smoked in the process. "You were just looking at me kind of funny. Like you were completely out of it and didn't know where you were."

_Well, yeah_, Sam thought, _but I can't admit that._

Sam looked around as the man stuck the cigarette back in his mouth. While the man poked around the fire with a stick, Sam noticed a tent, a nearby truck, and fishing poles.

Didn't take a scientist with several different degrees to figure out what they were doing here in the forest.

"That was a big fish you almost caught this afternoon," the man said. "Would have tasted good right about now."

"Sorry," Sam said. "Maybe next time."

The man smirked. "Yeah. Maybe next time." He poked around a bit more and tossed the stick to the ground. "Well, I guess we should hit the sack. I'm beat."

The man stood, picked up a bucket, and dumped some water on the fire. He then tossed his cigarette down and started towards the tent.

Sam waited for a moment but then realized the man had no intention.

"What are you doing?" Sam asked.

"I just told you."

"I mean the cigarette," Sam explained. "It's still lit! That could have caused this whole place to go up!"

"Fine," the man replied. He walked back and poured the rest of the water from the bucket over it and squashed it with his shoe for good measure.

"Good eye," Al said from behind.

Sam jumped. Fortunately the man didn't see as he was walking back to the tent. Sam stood and turned to face Al and his extremely loud blue suit.

"What do you mean?" Sam whispered.

"That cigarette was why you're here," Al said. "It did start a forest fire that took out most of this forest as well as three firefighters in the process. Now those firefighters don't die and this place remains intact."

Al nodded to Sam. Sam disappeared yet again.


	14. October 31st, 1989

As his disorientation passed, Sam felt a few people accidentally bump into him offering their sentiments of "excuse me" and "sorry" as they went. Not paying attention to them, Sam looked around. Adults tagging behind creatures of all types were all over the neighborhood. A kid dressed as a vampire rushed past while a goblin and witch were knocking on the door of the house Sam stood in front.

It, quite obviously, was Halloween.

Sam looked at the watch on his hand. One of those kinds that had not only the time but the date and year as well.

_7:47 p.m. 10/31/89._

Sam glanced back up to see the goblin running towards him as the woman in the house handed the witch some candy.

"I'm going to the house across the street!" the boy in the goblin costume shouted as he ran towards Sam and the street.

Sam turned towards the street. Up the road a red SUB was driving their way. At least the kids were safe on the-

Sam grabbed the boy by the arm strong enough to stop him realizing what was about to happen. The car passed slowing as it went along seeing the boy nearly darting into the street.

"You could have been hit by that car!" Sam exclaimed. "Be careful!"

"Okay Mom, gosh," the young boy replied.

Sam leaped.


	15. July 14th, 2008

_A/N: Rosetta at home is a real project. I decided to do this not only to do another chapter for this since it's been a while since I updated but to help spread the word about Rh. Of course there are a good bit more projects you can choose from but this is the one I use now (I used to use Setihome). They do hope the information gained from it will someday be used to help fight and cure things like malaria and HIV so I hope you'll at least check it out as it's free, simple to install, and you won't even notice it's even running! I speak from experience as I've used it since 2008._

Sans the disorientation, Sam found himself sitting in front of a computer. By the looks of the computer, Sam guessed when he had leaped it was at some point after he first started leaping in 1995. Moving the mouse, Sam hovered above the clock.

_July 14, 2008._

Had it really been thirteen years? Sam thought.

"Well, I hope operating systems have improved since Windows 95," Sam said.

"Of course they have," Al said. "You'd be surprised at some of the things even common every day computers can do."

"As much as I'd like to hear it,' Sam replied, "why am I here?"

"Oh," Al said, "you're just here to download and install a program on the computer here."

"Really?" Sam asked. "What is it?"

"It's called Rosetta at Home but the "at" is spelled with the "at" symbol," Al explained.

"What's it for?"

"It's a distributive computing program," Al said, "and the purpose is for computers around the world to help research and predict protein structure. But it works using idle computer power and is run out of Baker Laboratory at the University of Washington. They're hoping the information gotten from the whole thing will go on to help cure several diseases including HIV."

"Oh, that sounds great," Sam replied.

"Yeah," Al said. "But in the original history the guy you are, whose name is Bryan by the way, was about to download it after seeing his girlfriend. Probably slipped his mind or something because Ziggy can't find that he ever installed it afterwards."

Minutes later, upon getting the Bryan's email address and signing up, Sam looked for the project on the list.

"There it is," Sam said. "Is Ziggy sure that's all I'm here to do?"

Al nodded. "Ninety-nine point two percent certain. So once you attach it you should be out of here."

Getting to the point where only one last click was necessary, Sam turned to Al. "See you next leap," he said grinning. Sam forced his finger down and disappeared in blue.


	16. November 9th, 1997

Looking around this den, one thing was apparent.

Whoever he was now, this man was a proud gun rights supporter. Three rifles hung in a cabinet as well as a shotgun was present in the room.

"Quite the look, isn't it?" Al asked.

"Yeah," Sam replied. "I didn't hear you come in."

Al shrugged. "Maybe it was the disorientation."

"Maybe. Anyway, what do you have for me, Al?" Sam asked. "Why am I here?"

"Let's see," Al replied. He raised his arm the link was in and began reading. "Well, it's November 9, 1997. Your name is Bob Samuel."

"Looking at what I just saw," Sam mused looking around, "Mr. Samuel is in love with his guns. I don't know why someone would want so many of these things. It looks like he's preparing for war."

"Well," Al replied, "you are in Texas. If you don't mind jokes on stereotypes."

"Funny. Okay Mr. Comedian, why am I here?"

Al looked back to the link. "Hold on, Ziggy's bringing it up right now," Al replied. "It looks like you're here for Bob's seven year old son. Franklin. Originally, he-dear God. Sam, run into the living room!"

"What's in the—"

"No time for questions, GO! Through the door and to the left!"

Sam hurried out the door and took a left. He saw the living room at the end of the hallway. Running through the door into the living room, he saw Bob's five year old son. Reaching for a handgun on the table.

"Get the gun, Sam!" Al yelled. "He accidentally shoots himself in the original history and dies!"

Sam dived for the gun and grabbed it before the seven year old did.

"Franklin!" Sam shouted. "What do you think you were doing?"

"I'm sorry, Daddy!" Franklin replied crying. "I just wanted to play it with it like you."

"Franklin, sit down," Sam replied. Sam and Franklin sat down on the couch. "Guns aren't toys. They're for adults and are extremely dangerous things. Extremely dangerous things are ultimately meant for one thing—to cause death. Do you understand?"

Franklin nodded.

"They're not to be played with," Sam continued. "I shouldn't even have left it out where you could get to it."

Franklin nodded.

"Maybe soon I can teach you properly how to handle these or go someone who can help us," Sam told him. "Hold me to my promise, okay? Can you do that?"

"Yes, sir, I will!"

"That did it," Al replied. "Franklin doesn't get killed and does hold Bob to your promise to learn how to properly handle these."

Sam patted Franklin on the shoulder. Midway into a pat, Sam leaped.

_AN: Without getting terribly into detail (because we're all here just to enjoy our fandoms, right?) I feel a need to clarify some issues. My views on guns aren't necessarily that detailed here. Guns and gun rights are probably the area I'm most libertarian on (note I didn't say liberal). I'm all for someone not owning a gun as much as I am for someone as long as you aren't a danger to yourself or others. I personally do plan on buying one myself for self-defense purposes—which thankfully my state supports the right to defend yourself with reasonable force, whatever "reasonable" is, in the form of the Castle Doctrine. But come on people. I'm sick of hearing stories of this happening in real life! Be responsible!_


End file.
